Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Food Safety and Hygiene 2476-3241 11 4 2026 06 06 338 351 Elsa de Castro Department of Nutrition and Food, Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique, Mozambique. Amade Ibramugy Dauto Ussene Issufo Ibramugy e Aissa Ismael Dauto Ibraimo José da Cruz Francisco Department of Food Engineering at the Catholic University of Mozambique. Alberto Nota Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University. 2025 11 13 2026 06 06 Milk is widely recognized as a highly nutritious food. However, if produced under inadequate hygienic and sanitary conditions, it can pose a risk to public health. This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological safety and compliance of raw milk produced by small-scale producers in rural communities of Manica Province, one of the main dairy-producing regions of Mozambique. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to integrate microbial load quantification with compliance assessment against international standards in smallholder dairy systems in the districts of Gondola, Vanduzi, and Macate. A total of 34 raw milk samples were analyzed for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, total and fecal coliforms, coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative Staphylococci, molds and yeasts. The mean count of mesophilic aerobic bacteria was 7.27 ± 0.14 Log10 cfu/mL, exceeding the recommended limits of 104-105 cfu/mL. Total coliforms were detected in all samples (> 1.1x103), exceeding acceptable levels (≤ 3 MPN/mL), while fecal coliforms were below 3 MPN/mL. The mean values for coagulase-positive staphylococci and coagulase-negative Staphylococci were 5.82 ± 0.14 and 5.97 ± 0.12 Log10 cfu/mL, respectively, which were above the recommended limits (102- 104 cfu/mL). Molds and yeasts were detected in all samples, with mean values of 5.09 ± 1.60 and 5.50 ± 1.05 Log10 cfu/mL, respectively, which are above the acceptable levels for dairy products.The findings demonstrate non-compliance with internationally accepted microbiological standards, highlighting deficiencies in hygiene and sanitation practices during the production, handling and storage of milk. This poses a potential risk to public health. These results provide novel scientific evidence regarding the microbiological safety of raw milk produced in small-scale systems in Manica Province, and emphasise the importance of implementing good milking practices, improving infrastructure, and strengthening sanitary monitoring to ensure product safety. https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/598